The magic circle was fairly considerate. Besides NoDishWashingAfterEating, Yu Yu fought one more match that afternoon, and then she had no more battles for the day. Perhaps because there really weren't many spellcaster players, Yu Yu advanced after just two fights.
[Become one of the top 128 in the spellcaster group (Completed)]
[Experience +2000, Gold Coins +10]
The task updated: [(Optional) Become one of the top 64 in the spellcaster group] (Rewards: Experience 4000, Gold Coins 20)
As for the difficulty of the battles, per her senior's words, it was "anyone with hands could do it."
Yu Yu relaxed.
Among Eternal Darkness players, she was still the brightest star.
That afternoon, she didn't rush to leave. Instead, she stayed with Zi Shu and the others to spectate, checking for any standout players. She also watched Shang Wei's fight. She was randomly assigned a desert terrain and took out her opponent with standard positioning, using the basic stance missile.
It looked unremarkable, but Crimson's popularity drew massive attention from the start. The moment she won, the crowd erupted in cheers. Even Felix gave her a surprised glance, seemingly unprepared for her popularity among outsiders.
The magic circle seemed to take her more seriously now.
Yu Yu had no reaction. She could tell at a glance that Shang Wei's stance missile had a much shorter chanting time than average. She blindly guessed it was at least "proficient," maybe even the next proficiency level. Embarrassing, but Yu Yu's own spells only reached "mastered" at best, and that was for gust technique, a cantrip.
Each proficiency level upgrade significantly boosted a spell. This showed in reduced chanting time, lower costs, and increased power. A high-proficiency first-circle attack spell was indeed an advantage in PvP.
As a team player, Shang Wei was skilled at these small tricks.
Zi Shu nudged her. "Can you handle her?"
She sounded worried. "Her spell proficiency is clearly high. Not sure if she used skill points."
Yu Yu shook her head. "No way. If you focus on one spell from the start, getting 'mastered' isn't hard. Shang Wei's not that short-sighted. She'd save her skill points."
Yu Yu instinctively tried to shove her hands in her pockets, then realized her robe had none and pulled them back. "The forums are full of guides, but almost none are useful. Many deliberately mislead newbies into putting skill points in early-game skills."
She hesitated before saying, "Per my senior, mastering a spell to the end unlocks things like metamagic techniques. I'm guessing players' skill points are meant for that."
"Otherwise, without the NPCs' long lifespans, how could we catch up to their strength?"
Shu Tu glanced at Yu Yu. "You confident?"
Yu Yu touched her forehead. "If we're talking proficiency, I've got no shot for now, but…"
"It's time to test the length of my spell list."
Yu Yu added, "I'll see if I can complete a task today to grab a defensive spell."
Yu Yu knew stance missile too. Its perks were fast chanting and low cost. As a non-elemental spell, it was essentially a thrown physical attack. Basic deflection stance or stance shield struggled to counter it.
Yu Yu planned to buy wind wall. Water wall would do too. Ice wall and stone wall were solid spells that blocked her own line of sight, so they weren't ideal.
Zi Shu said, "I'll keep recording here. Anyone you're particularly watching? I'll fill you in later."
Yu Yu thought for a moment. "Qian Qing. He's the spellcaster pillar of Destiny, also a Hall of Fame player. He probably wouldn't change his ID."
"As for Shen Lan," Yu Yu looked at Shu Tu, "she knows her."
Shen Lan and Shu Tu were "old friends." She got into gaming before Shu Tu, once dominating the rising Shu Tu, then left to inherit her family business.
Yu Yu had been pulled into the scene by Shu Tu. She originally had no beef with Shen Lan, but who knew Shen Lan would come back and buy out the team?
Right now, Yu Yu had a small goal.
As long as she was in Silver Moon, she wouldn't let Azure Waves grow there.
Shen Lan, just you wait.
This time, with nearly all high-tier spellcasters present, Yu Yu couldn't ask her senior for tasks. This was actually her first visit to Silver Moon's magic circle hall. She picked up two first-circle tasks, one worth 800 points, so 1600 total. Enough.
Second-circle tasks were more complex—either long processes or combat-heavy. Yu Yu worried she couldn't finish them before tomorrow's matches.
…She really feared being first up again tomorrow.
The Grand Archon was probably that petty.
[Assist in auditing Moon Bay Town's magic circle accounts]
[Escort Moon Bay Town's caravan]
Yu Yu had done the escort task before, but last time she hadn't advanced. This time, it was a standard pickup. The caravan went from Silver Moon to Moon Bay Town, likely supplies Silver Moon was sending over. Auditing accounts should be quick, right?
Yu Yu was starting to have doubts. After accepting the tasks, she got moving. The first task was to gather in Moon Bay Town, nothing special. Yu Yu reached Silver Moon's city gates, ready to escort.
Wearing her magic circle novice spellcaster robe, she didn't need to prove herself. She arrived, and they set off—simple and efficient. No issues arose. Yu Yu suspected this task was just for players to farm points. Otherwise, from Silver Moon to Moon Bay Town, what enemies could there be?
She didn't get it.
Yu Yu happily collected her points and rushed to the magic circle without stopping. The leader was an unfamiliar mid-tier spellcaster, stern and no-nonsense. It took Yu Yu twenty minutes to learn how to audit accounts, then she and a few other novice spellcasters dove into the paperwork.
She was wrong.
This task was not fun.
She'd rather go fight!
By the time the stars were out, Yu Yu was released, dizzy and brain-fried. She and the others were half-dead, but the mid-tier spellcaster was unfazed. "Not bad. Task completed."
[Gain Experience +1000, Gold Coins +1, Points +800]
Some tasks really weren't worth taking.
Terrifying.
Yu Yu, still shaken, had spent the afternoon crunching numbers. She felt like she'd been flapping on the edge of sudden death.
"Hey? Yu?!"
A familiar voice called nearby.
Yu Yu turned, surprised. "Yun Lun?!"
"What are you doing here?"
Yun Lun: "Mama Lady sent me to handle the handover! Silver Moon's audits always take forever, and it's my turn this time."
"Are you here for a task?"
Yu Yu: "Yeah, it was torture."
Yun Lun gave a sympathetic look. "I've done it before. Never again."
Yu Yu chatted with her. "I gotta head back. I'm worried I won't make tomorrow's match."
Yun Lun: "The match, waaah, I wanna join too."
"It must be so lively," she said enviously. "I haven't seen Senior in forever."
Yu Yu's eyes lit up. "Then take leave and come to Silver Moon with me! I'll take you to Senior!"
Yun Lun hesitated. "Would that… be okay?"
She hadn't considered it.
Yu Yu: "Can't you take leave?"
Yun Lun thought hard. "I can! I just advanced, so I could technically apply to work in Silver Moon."
"But Mama Lady might get mad…"
Yu Yu: "It's just leave to watch a match. Should be fine, right? You work so hard. Don't you want to see Senior?"
Yun Lun was swayed, resolving, "Okay, I'm going!"
Yu Yu left alone but returned with a Yun Lun in tow. This mid-tier spellcaster was even chattier than Yu Yu, babbling the whole way back to the city.
Yun Lun suddenly gasped, "I don't have a place to stay in Silver Moon!"
Yu Yu, unfazed, said, "Neither do I. A bed's a bed, right?"
Yun Lun hinted, "Yu, you're a novice spellcaster now. Haven't you thought about renting a place?"
"You can't keep sleeping on the streets, can you?"
"Feng Ran always says you're too casual. You're clearly loaded but crash at her dorm whenever you get the chance," Yun Lun rambled. "When friends visit, are you gonna invite them to sleep on a park bench?"
Yu Yu froze, murmuring, "I… hadn't thought of that…"
Yun Lun: "Exactly! You need to settle down. Silver Moon's housing is pricey. I heard a decent apartment costs two or three gold coins a month. Without a job, it's hard to live stably. Moon Bay Town's different—you can crash at the academy dorms, and Mama Lady doesn't care…"
"You can even mooch off the cafeteria. Living's basically free!"
She prattled on about life hacks, and Yu Yu started feeling dizzy. Honestly, she might actually need a place?
Otherwise, if NPC friends visited, she wouldn't even have water to offer them?
Yu Yu snapped back. "You're right. I'll think about it."
Didn't someone suggest renting last time?
Or even buying?!
Yu Yu's face turned bitter.
Why did playing a game involve buying a house?!
Just thinking about it hurt. Now she envied her senior, clearly a little rich lady.
If she said, "Senior, hungry, food," would she get zapped by a lightning arrow?
"You said you don't have a place?"
Yu Yu pulled out a key. "But I have a job."
"They all go home at night, so I'm the only one here."
"It's empty anyway, and I asked—they don't mind," Yu Yu said, pouring water for Yun Lun. "It's basic, but just treat it like…?"
"Who?" Yu Yu stared at the person in the room, shocked.
A silver-eared boy glared furiously, pointing at her. "It's her! It's her!"
"She's the one who snitched to Sister and put in the paper that I'm a dog!"
"Sister Wind Singer," the boy with striking silver-blue eyes and drooping silver ears teared up, "can you beat her up for me?"
Yun Lun was stunned. "Lady Wind Singer?"
A lean woman in a trench coat, looking sharp and cool, cracked her knuckles and tied her ponytail tighter. "Bullying kids isn't a good look, spellcaster."
She stressed "spellcaster" heavily, clearly holding a grudge.
"Anything to say?" Her emerald eyes locked on Yu Yu, her smile radiant. "I'll go easy on you…"
Yu Yu: "It wasn't me! I didn't! Let me explain!!!"
"AHH!!!"